Novel experimental model of enlarging abdominal aortic aneurysm in rabbits

Experimental abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) models can be useful to investigate its pathogenesis and to mimic human AAA disease. Medial injury aneurysms induced by elastase or calcium chloride are popular models. Unfortunately, the elastase-induced aneurysm dilates <70% and heals spontaneously. Periaortic calcium chloride application does not always induce reliable AAA formation. In this study, a novel AAA model was induced in rabbits by periaortic elastase incubation and aortic coarctation. Elastase incubation and turbulent flow caused by coarctation could work in concert to develop AAA progressively to overcome the self-healing phenomenon and to better mimic human AAA disease.